The Oasis is Burning

Authored by
Andrew Johnston

Lawrence, Kansas was a nice community before the occupation. Then came Electoral Integrity, the Governor's controversial plan to end voter fraud for good (even if it meant ending voting as well). Then came the protests, the armed protests, the crackdowns by the state's legally dubious paramilitary cops, the deputization of quasi-fascist gangs. The people on the ground are watching each other through rifle sights while the rest of the nation holds its breath, waiting for some fool to light the fuse.

But there's more going on under the surface in Lawrence, and notorious outlaw journalist Atticus Gainsborough might be our last hope to find the truth. He's not prompt or respectful or even sober most of the time and he comes equipped with a rap sheet nearly as long as his list of accolades. But Atticus is the only reporter willing to dig into the darker quarters of this occupied town and meet its dodgiest residents - the extremist radio host with his own private army, the mythical leftist terrorist who may or may not actually exist, the theocratic mega-billionaire and the drug dealer who knows an awful lot of his secrets. It's shaping up to be the story of the century, and Atticus will have an exclusive - provided he doesn't catch a bullet first.